Overview & Reviews

Chevrolet sells an impressively wide range of vehicles, from subcompact hatchbacks to huge vans and SUVs. If you're looking for a reasonably priced vehicle, odds are that Chevy will have something to fit your needs.

Chevrolet got its start in 1911. After William C. Durant had been ousted from General Motors, he joined forces with Swiss-born racecar driver Louis Chevrolet to found the Chevrolet Motor Car Company. The company's first offering was the Classic Six. Introduced in 1912, this five-passenger touring sedan could top 65 mph, fast for the time. Chevrolet's storied bowtie logo -- reportedly inspired by the wallpaper of a Paris hotel room that Durant stayed at -- made its first appearance in 1914.

By 1918, Chevrolet's profitability allowed Durant to purchase enough shares in GM to regain control. Chevrolet became another division of GM, and was its largest volume division by the mid-1920s. By 1927, Chevrolet outsold rival Ford, with sales in excess of 1 million units.

In the mid-1930s Chevrolet introduced independent front suspension, which provided a smoother ride over the rough roads of the day. The 1940s saw continued success with affordable coupes, sedans and pickup trucks catering to American families, farmers and businessmen.

By the mid-1950s, Chevrolet, GM's entry-level division, had added a V8 engine, power steering and brakes, power windows and air-conditioning to its list of available features, allowing luxury for those on a tighter budget. Around this time the iconic Bel Air model -- available in coupe, sedan, convertible and wagon body styles -- proved very popular. The company introduced its alluring Corvette in 1953; the vehicle was the first mass-produced car with a fiberglass body.

The 1960s saw the unveiling of the popular, air-cooled Corvair compact, which held the distinction of being the first domestic production car with all-around independent suspension. That decade also witnessed the launch of the compact Nova, the midsize Chevelle and the sporty Camaro, the latter Chevrolet's answer to the wildly successful Ford Mustang. The Camaro proved an instant hit, comprising 10 percent of Chevrolet's total sales in 1967, its first year of production.

In the 1970s, Chevy responded to changing preferences by introducing small cars like the Vega and the Chevette, and by downsizing larger models such as the Caprice and Malibu. The company combated the market domination of foreign nameplates in the 1980s by rolling out the Cavalier. By the end of that decade, trucks and SUVs had started to become increasingly popular with the general consumer, and the brand's mid- and full-size models continue to this day to be some of the most popular on the road.

The '90s and the early 2000s saw the company raising the performance bar with its Corvette (notably the Z06 and, later, ZR1 variants) and reincarnated Impala SS. Chevrolet's Silverado pickup truck and Tahoe/Suburban SUVs continued to be hits as well. By 2010, the Camaro had returned to the lineup after a seven-year hiatus.

Modern times have seen Chevrolet make significant improvements in its small and midsize car models and introduce the Volt plug-in hybrid. The latter provides a nearly 40-mile range on electric power alone, and adds to the company's already well-rounded lineup of cars, trucks and SUVs. Though today's marketplace is very demanding, Chevrolet seems poised to remain a power player through its affordable and innovative vehicles.

User Reviews:

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  good van for anything - 1999 Chevrolet Astro
  By dskidds - January 18 - 9:45 pm

  love this van, its a Custom Craft. problems are no locks, keyless entry doesnt work, driver side window motor is a no go, dont have access to the trunk, fuel sender does not work, ne fuel pump put in at 130k, ball joints are going, when it shifts between 1st and 2nd it "jumps, hard shifting" check the fluid and its alright does well in the snow perfect donuts (just once, no more) had this van on many numerous trips its a good van, but it gets 13mpg city and 16 highway, 4.3 Lt. V6 Vortex

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  great all-around sedan - 2008 Chevrolet Impala
  By mace57 - January 17 - 3:41 pm

  I bought my Impala as a work vehicle. It has since become the all-around family work horse. Not bad looking with the spoiler, and sun roof. OK stero system. The car has a great balance of weight and power, and is super in the winter with good snow tires. we get about 24 mpg average. Lots of room and a hugh trunk. I have about 77k miles on it, and have had no repair issues. I think it is a great value, reliable sedan.

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  Whats Not To Like? - 2009 Chevrolet Colorado
  By oyeme - January 16 - 8:48 pm

  Sometimes the professional reviewers from Edmunds, Consumer Reports, etc are just too picky because my Colorado Z-71 has been a great truck! It has 24,XXX miles now. I have had ZERO problems with it! It gets about 24.5 mpg on highway and a combined 23 mpg recently with in town and highway driving. This little truck has been very reliable and the build quality that Edmunds pans is not seen on my truck. It is still rattle & squeek free and overall impression is that of a real solid truck. The only complaint, although it is not the trucks fault, is that the OEM M+S tires are noisier than I like. I will replace them for quieter ones when these wear out but they are wearing like iron!

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  Thats a Lumina?! - 1998 Chevrolet Lumina
  By kd0bep - January 16 - 9:48 am

  We have had this car for nearly ten years and never had any major problems until we happened to get an oil change while at Wal Mart and they managed to drop something in the engine while doing it. When we drove the car from the store it started to make a clinking sound. When we went back they told us to prove it! So we took it to a mechanic who said it would be simply cheaper to replace the engine than to fight over it. Well he ended up putting the engine in wrong and it died out and needed another one. It becomes an even sadder story from there. The car still runs but it just isnt the same. It currently sits at 176,000 miles.

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  Our second Malibu - 2011 Chevrolet Malibu
  By jt1088 - January 16 - 5:12 am

  After looking at all the competition, we bough a 2008 Malibu and put 50,000 miles on it. Last week the car was totaled in an accident. The safety systems performed well. We did another review of the 2011 competition, again the answer was Malibu. Hard to beat the features performance and price.

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  Great Car that saves Money! - 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
  By bl45 - January 15 - 4:51 pm

  I am proud that my car continues to run beyond 120,000 miles with no critical repairs necessary. It consistently gets 32 MPG and saves money compared to most domestic sedans. The interior features are practical and easy to use. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone!

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  2SS/RS White-Black Leather - 2011 Chevrolet Camaro
  By slowbrew - January 15 - 12:56 pm

  I tried to get her to make a house wife /mother sensible decision but after driving SUVs for 13 years she wouldnt settle for it. We have only had it a couple days and got nailed by a rock on the freeway after the first 50 miles and chipped the windshield. Hopefully that will be the official "break in". We got white because of what I have read about the soft paint and figured we can fill the chips with wax or touchup will be easier. Car feels great-If you are intimidated about the visibility at first you get use to it after the first day. Looking forward to opening it up but am being nice to the motor for the break in. Hopefully it will be reliable. Car is BEAUTIFUL/DREAM CAR!!!

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  Great Buy - 2011 GS - 2011 Chevrolet Corvette
  By c6_2011 - January 15 - 7:44 am

  This car is everything you would expect from Corvette and a sports car. From the acceleration and handling to the sound of the engine. The fit and finish are very solid and have come a long way from other GM products of the past. This car truly challenges the imports of the same class in all aspects. The GS is really a great value for what you get compared to a lot of other sports cars. Even vs. the other Corvette sub-models, you could spend a lot more for the Z06 or ZR1, for what, maybe 0.3 and 0.6 in 0-60, maybe some handling advantages, but is that really worth the extra money? I would say no. Congratulations to GM and Chevrolet for creating such a wonderful machine.

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  Awesome Car - 1996 Chevrolet Corsica
  By brent1996123 - January 14 - 11:34 pm

  Perfect car very reliable strong V6 3.1 liter excellent transmission.

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  Great Car - 1996 Chevrolet Corsica
  By brent1996123 - January 14 - 11:24 pm

  Very Reliable strong v6 engine and strong transmission, ABS works great never had to replace a thing.